Why Use a Woodchipper Shredder?

Do you have pieces of wood left over from a renovation project that you just don’t know how to get rid of? Maybe you have numerous bags filled with yard clippings and tree branches that were removed during your backyard cleanup. It’s a good chance that you have these kinds of things just lying around, taking up valuable space, but you simply don’t know what to do with it. You could have a bonfire for sure (if you live in an area that allows them) but that only makes a bigger mess of ashes and waste to get rid of. Plus, you would need to have a decent sized backyard bonfire to get rid of an accumulation of wood.

That is why you should look at investing in a wood chipper shredder or at least renting one to clean up around your yard. You’re probably asking yourself why you would need a wood chipper shredder to get rid of the wood you have built up considering it only makes a different kind of wood product, but these chips are actually easier to get rid of in the long run. How? Well that’s the purpose of this post – to let you know exactly how you can get rid of and use wood chips in future endeavors.

Garden Mulch and Compost  

It is no small secret that making your own compost and mulch for your garden beds will save you money and provide valuable nutrients to your plants. Compost is made from decayed organic matter that ferments to grow nutritious bacteria that seeps into the soil of your garden beds and encourages flowers, fruits, veggies and even herbs or shrubs to grow big and strong. The use of mulch is similar but instead of providing nutrients, it acts as the protector of the garden and becomes a buffer between your plants and temperature changes, wind speed changes and even pests that could destroy or harm your garden.

One of the key ingredients in compost and mulch is wood chips. Wood chips for this purpose can be purchased at your local garden center or nursery but why not instead make your own out of wood scraps and tree trimmings that are laying around your backyard? With a few simple steps, all the scrap lumber left over from replacing the back patio is reduced down to chips and can be used in both the making of compost and mulch.

Pets Love It

Most indoor pets that are in the critter family – think hamsters, gerbils, mice, etc. love a snug warm bed of wood chips. Most times, this style of wood chips can be purchased at any pet store, but it can be expensive in the long run. Using your own personal wood chipper shredder eliminates this expense and helps you eliminate clutter around your yard.

Look at a wood chipper shredder with various attachments to change the size of the wood chips so that you can get a contrast in terms of size for your furry friend’s cage. Also, having a stock of wood chips on hand, dried out and ready to go, means that whenever it’s time to change the bedding their cage? You are on it and ready for action. They had a couple of bathroom accidents or their water container got knocked over and soaked right through? On it.

Bonfire Season and Cold Temperatures

Wood chips, while they won’t heat an entire home or create the type of bonfire needed for s’mores, can still act as a Firestarter in terms of bonfires and home fuel. People have been using wood chips for generations as the base for a warming fire throughout the cold winter night. They don’t burn as long as pieces of wood or lumber, but they are easier to light, start, and maintain a flame with than trying to start a fire from scratch.

Once the pile of wood chips has smoldered and burned, you are left with a glowing bed of coals that will heat and allow the bark of the full chunk of wood to catch. Voila! Your house is toasty, or your s’mores are hot.

Hunting Season

Those who are hunters in terms of moose, bear, deer, or even rabbit meat have been using wood chips for years to smoke their catch and keep it from spoiling. Using clean wood chips that have not been dried out will provide a hunter with a smoldering, smoking fire that penetrates the meet and seals the juices inside for a tasty snack year-round!

Conclusion

Wood chipper shredders can be pricey but if you are planning to use one on a fairly regular basis, it would be cheaper in the long run than renting one from your local industrial equipment warehouse. If you only need a wood chipper for the present – then renting is the way to go! Whatever your usage of a wood chipper shredder may be, you now know why it is important to use the wood chips over scrap pieces of lumber.

With the numerous uses of wood chips that were outlined in this post, from fuel to gardening to pet maintenance; it is no wonder that more people are looking into a wood chipper shredder and updated models make them more portable than before. Want to know how they work? Then learn more here.